Renovation progress report - week 47

We're all tired this week. But, it's getting there. (Do I say that every week? It's true.)

We're also nearing the time to put our house up for sale. Eek! I'll let you know more when it's officially for sale.

This week, Papa Bear finished a lot more trim work, and it all looks amazing. He's a miracle worker. He finished all the quarter round...

the trim in the extra bedroom...

the kitchen windows...

 and batten boards in the dining room.

Ryan's dad took a day off work to swap all the outlets. They look fabulous. White outlets bring me a great deal of happiness. It was super nice of him to work on these for us.

Papa Bear also added quarter round to the stairs for a cleaner break between tread and riser.

I really like how this turned out. I was a bit worried about how they looked, and they just look more finished now.

He also fixed the kicked-out area of the banister.

You know what this means? That I have a LOT more trim painting to do. A lot.

But last week, I did paint like a fiend, and still only managed to complete the living room. And I haven't even cut in the Bedford Grey wall color yet. It is a darn big room.

I'm feeling overwhelmed by things that need painting. Overwhelmed.

But, it will all get done. Eventually. But if you wanna come over with a paint brush and help me paint trim, I'd welcome you with open arms. And a bottle of wine.

Ryan took out the old tile around the fireplace. Now we have no idea what to do. We've gotta call our friends who own a fireplace store.

We also put the freshly-painted cabinet doors and new hardware back on the built-in unit in the living room.

I just bought some black hardware that fit the existing holes. I'm pleased.

Our master bedroom closet didn't have flooring in half of it. So this week, instead of fussing with patching in the floor, Ryan put down some laminate flooring for the time being. It's really not pretty unless you squint your eyes, but it does the job. And it's a closet, so we're going with it.

Extra! Extra!

OUR APPLIANCES WERE DELIVERED IN WEEK 47! 

I'm really quite thrilled with them. We went with Kenmore fridge, stove and microhood and a Maytag dishwasher from Sears. The microhood, oven and dishwasher still need installed. 

I chose black because I didn't want white and I didn't want stainless. Process of elimination. I found a few inspiration photos with light cabinets and black appliances on Pinterest, so I went for it. I'm happy I did. I'm really happy with the contrast.

Source: bhg.com via Kim on Pinterest

Source: emilyaclark.blogspot.com via Kim on Pinterest

I used black hardware and I'll have a black faucet (I ordered this one by Kohler), so I like that the appliances pull it all together.

On that note, Ryan also installed all the cabinet hardware in the kitchen.

I chose cup pulls for the drawers and pull-outs and simple knobs for the doors. All from Home Depot. All in matte black. I love them.

This kitchen is making me happy.

And, that, my friends, was the week in review.

What do you think?

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Join the Pouf-A-Long

Well, I'm super excited about this. 

After my buddy Meredith at Welcome to Heardmont shared the link to the pouf ottoman instructions at Better Homes & Gardens, I mentioned that I wanted to make one, too.

(Image via BH&G)

I thought they were so cut and would make both a great ottoman or floor pillow. And who can't use a little more fabric in their lives? Or in their living rooms?

After a little back and forth with Meredith and my friend Liz from It's Great to be Home, the Pouf-A-Long was born.

What's a Pouf-A-Long?
An opportunity to make a fun BH&G pouf (or another pouf of your own creation) together with other bloggers. On Wednesday, July 20, we'll all share our creations and tell each other how wonderful we are.

This is an opportunity to get creative, try a new project and meet some new blogger friends, too.

Doesn't that sound fun?

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.

You can link up your post here at NewlyWoodwards, or at It's Great to be Home or Welcome to Heardmont. Everything will merge together on one blog hop, so you'll also see all the other poufs.

How do you get involved?

• Leave one of us a comment today telling us that you are on board for the Pouf-A-Long. 
• Share the button above (created by the lovely and talented Liz) on your blog or other page. Or share that you are participating on your Facebook or Twitter account and encourage others to get involved.
• Get sewing! Share your finished creation sometime before Wednesday, July 20, and come back to link it up.

Are you excited? I am! Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!


So, who's in?

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The anatomy of a personalized picnic basket and blanket

I shared a peek at the gift I assembled for my dear friend's wedding gift yesterday. It's something I've been putting together for a while, and I'm really happy how it all came together. I also think it's a fun idea for a great wedding/shower/housewarming/just because gift.

So, I thought I'd share what I included in the picnic basket, including the homemade pieces. Here's the anatomy of a picnic basket, NewlyWoodwards style...

Plates
The idea began when I saw these plates at Joss & Main. (They aren't available at Joss & Main anymore, but they are the Arbor Navy & Pink dinner plates.)

They screamed to me. "Buy these for your friend Ashley." (Don't online items ever speak to you?) They are fun and modern and hot pink. Perfect for her. And since Ashley's wedding was coming up, I knew I could make these work for a gift. This was months ago, but I ordered them straight away with her soon-to-be married initial and decided that I'd include them in her gift in some way.

Napkin rings
Then, I spotted these monogram silver napkin rings at Bed, Bath and Beyond. And I had to buy them, too. (Okay, and I bought some for Ryan and I, too. I'm nothing if not selfish.)

So at this point, I had a theme going on. Personalization is all the rage, so I decided to run with it. And I wanted her gift to be something unique and special, so the personalized picnic basket was born. I like this idea for a wedding gift because it's something you'd never buy for yourself. But, how often do you have to bring things to a potluck or bring picnic-wares to an outdoor concert or tailgate? This is perfect for that, so I think it's pretty practical.

And since the plates were navy, white and hot pink, I decided to stick with those colors as I was filling the basket.

Napkins
I picked up these cute ric-rac napkins for a steal at Pier One. I like having white napkins, so versatile. I was planning to embroider them, but I thought they were cute as-is. And I was getting a little personalization-happy. (Is there even such a thing?)

Basket
I was on the look-out for a basket that would be useful for a cool, modern couple, but the normal wicker just didn't fit. So, I ordered this fabulous collapsable market basket from Etsy seller Cupcake Stitches.

I really like this basket a lot. It's great for a picnic, but just as useful for a trip to the farmer's market.

Silverware
To avoid disposable utensils, I picked up a set of four place settings from Target. They included a knife, fork and spoon for each.

I originally planned to make a roll-up placemat with pockets for the napkin and utensils that I found in the book One Yard Wonders. But, after I cut the pieces, they seemed pretty small and I wanted to use the napkin rings instead of sticking the napkins inside the pocket, so I improvised.

I ended up making this little caddy with the extra fabric I had leftover from the pot holders and casserole carrier I made for Ashley for her shower. I like that everything coordinates. And I thought it was handy to have a place for the silverware, so it doesn't get lost in transit.

It rolls up, as you can see above on the far left.

I didn't use a pattern, but it's really pretty simple. It's quite similar to the colored pencil holder I made for Shelby last year.

Glasses
The cute melamine wine glasses are from Target. Perfect because there are two blue ones and two pink ones.

I also included a bottle of Asti in the basket. Because what good are wine glasses without sparkling wine?

Blanket
And, finally my favorite part - the picnic blanket.

I didn't want anything too fussy and I was hoping to pull in a monogram in some way.

I used Twirly Candy Pink for the top and Solid Candy Pink for the back. They are both medium-weight fabrics, which I think will hold up well. There is cotton batting in between, so it's quite thick. I was able to use the same fabrics for all the gifts for them, and I like the consistency of that.

I cut the "C" out using Wonder Under and my Cricut. (So cool! This is the first time I've tried cutting fabric.)

But the coolest part, in my opinion, is that the blanket is super portable. You simply fold it in half twice and roll it up like a sleeping bag.

I made a cuff with a handle so it is easy to bring with you. I embroidered it with the couple's wedding date and last name on my machine.

If you want to make your own blanket, I really liked this version of the picnic blanket at Cherry Menlove, so I followed her instructions loosely. 

I may or may not have put it together inside out two times before getting it right. (That wasn't annoying at all.) But, if it would have been right the first time, it would have been a quick project. In fact, I'd like to make one for Ryan and I to keep in the car.

For someone special in your life, a picnic basket could be a good gift idea. It takes a little time to assemble, but it's a fun process and I love that the end result is personal and fun for the recipient.

I hope it's something the couple enjoys and can use a lot. From a romantic picnic for two to tailgating or heading to a potluck. And if they are ever in the mood for a picnic for 4, I told the newlyweds to give the Woodwards a call. We'll bring the wine.

What do you think?

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This, that and the other

Sometimes, I have thoughts that just don't warrant their own posts. Random tidbits, little moments, individual photos... and because I've feeling quite disjointed lately with a lot of craziness at work and school and renovating, I think this may become a more regular type of post on the blog. Hope you like it.

I got my camera back. Did I mention that I dropped it on the concrete a few weeks ago? 

Yeah.

That really stunk. But, there's a reason I bought the 4-year warranty from Best Buy. My carelessness was covered. And since both the lens and body were cracked, I got to get a new camera. It's a Nikon D3100. Works pretty much like my D60. Only it has video. And a viewable screen on the back. And I'm thrilled to have my camera again. I love my iPhone, but it just doesn't take the same quality of photos.

Like this one. You need to see the trouble deep in Franco's eyes. 

He's probably getting ready to bark at a blade of grass, or bite Ryan's feet or steal the remote. I can see it.

And I wouldn't have gotten this photo, either. Can you even get over that color? It's just awesome in person.

And I really enjoyed having my camera at my dear friend Ashley's wedding last weekend. It was quite lovely. Everything was just beautiful. Including the bride. 

I've known Ashley since Middle School, so it was really special to be there for her big day.

There's just something about friends from High School. It's a different type of friendship.

I also got to catch up with several other awesome friends from Middle and High School. I'm not kidding when I tell you I was giddy about it. Still am. See that crazy smile below. It's a mix of a few glasses of wine and two old friends.

That's Ann and Allie. I wish I had all my photos scanned in so I could show you some old snapshots of us. Like when Ann and date went to senior prom with Ryan and I. Or this group photo from a sleepover at Allie's. (I'm sure they are relieved I'm not sharing these visual memories with the Internet, however.)

It was also humbling (and crazy awesome) when I found out that these old friends read this little blog, too. It's bizarre to realize that real people actually read NewlyWoodwards. I mean, no offense, blog buddies. I know you are probably real, too. But you can't compete with High School friends.

And I wanted to get a photo of the centerpiece. Can you believe this? It's stunning, right?

Before I took this picture, I asked Ryan if it would embarrass him if I snapped a shot of the centerpiece. Bless him. He said, "Of course not." Keeper.

Plus, I actually got some photos of the gift I assembled for her and her hubby Patrick. And they aren't blurry like those of the casserole carrier a few weeks ago.

More details to come on this one. But I'm downright excited about how this gift came together.

So, that's this, that and the other.

What's going on in your life?

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